The story is told from Tonto’s perspective. The former warrior is now part of a 1930’s carnival sideshow. Wearing impressive aging makeup, and doing his best ‘Injun’ accent, Johnny Depp narrates the story of timid lawyer John Reid (Armie Hammer) returning to his Texas hometown via the nearly completed transcontinental railroad. Determined to hand out proper justice, John is returning outlaw cannibal Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner) to his brother, Sheriff Dan (James Dale Badge), for prosecution. After his train is attacked by a band of outlaws who turn their leader Cavendish free, John joins Dan and the rest of the Texas Rangers to track him down. It’s not long before the Texas Rangers find themselves ambushed by Cavendish and his men, and slaughtered like cattle. Left for dead, John is nursed back to health by Tonto—whose life he had saved on the train—and at the command of a white spirit horse. John and Tonto decide to team up. The two men are very different, but equally determined to bring Cavendish to justice. Believed to be dead, John dons a black mask to conceal his identity. While working to take down Cavendish and his men, the pair uncovers a much larger plot involving railroad tycoon Latham Cole’s (Tom Wilkinson) plan to exterminate Tonto’s tribe.
Anyone who knows anything about the Lone Ranger legend would likely agree that it’s based on a simple theme of good versus evil. Unfortunately for this film adaptation, the story is far more complex than it needs to be, culminating in a third act that feels like it’s never going to end. There are so many characters and subplots crammed into the script; it’s hard to keep track of it all. Quite honestly, by the third act, I didn’t care much about the excess “bloat.” Credit director Gore Verbinski with the fact that we get a good sense of both lead characters, and the best scenes are the ones they appear in together. However, a little more time in the editing room would have been beneficial.
Presented in the film’s 2.40:1 aspect ratio, Sharpness is top-notch with a great level of detail throughout. Color is vibrant and realistic, allowing for faces that look normal. Black levels are solid, and contrast is spot-on. Disney has turned in another stellar transfer.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound mix does exactly what one would expect from a big budget action film. Split effects and pans are plentiful, and Hans Zimmer’s score is nicely distrusted. Sound effects are nicely separated, and sound full. Dialogue is clear throughout.
English SDH, Spanish, and French subtitles are available.
The following extras are included:
- Armie’s Western Roadtrip (HD, 14:37) Hammer goes West with director Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer to Rio Puerco, New Mexico, a little town outside of Albuquerque where the cast and crew endure dust storms and other climate issues. From there, they go on to various desert locations.
- Riding the Rails of The Lone Ranger (HD, 10:39) Director Gore Verbinski, producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and other members of the cast and crew discuss the five miles of railroad laid down specifically for the shooting of the film.
- Becoming a Cowboy (HD, 8:03) The actors discuss the month-long cowboy boot camp they went to. They learned the ins and outs of the lifestyle, including riding, shooting, and roping.
- Deleted Scene (HD, 3:49) A scene shown via storyboards, animatics, on-screen text in place of audible dialogue, and a brief, semi-final sequence involving old man Tonto.
- Bloopers (HD, 3:51) Typical outtakes.
- DVD
- Digital Copy
